Replacing high street clothing stores with on-line retailers.

Boz
I have spent many hours wandering around Zara, two of my granddaughters are eleven, and I can come out with big bags of clothes, without having spent too much.
Some of their stuff is a little weird, but it’s very good value.

I bought a really nice Joe Brown's dress on line last summer but the majority of my shopping has been charity shops or TK Maxx. I buy second hand clothes from Ebay - usually ones that I've seen and probably tried on in the past, but decided they were too expensive new.

You might like Mistral if you like White Stuff . Thought and Nomads for ethical, fair trade items .

Like Peasblossom, I have shape problems when clothes shopping. I have also found it is very difficult to work out the thickness of sweaters online. I have bought plain wool sweaters from Woolovers, House of Bruar and Cotswold Casuals. All looked alike online, all were good quality, but one was extremely fine wool, densely knitted, but nowhere as warm as a heavier one which was lightly fluffy.

I have also ordered clothes from retailers whose shops contain good quality clothing but online were selling sweaters that were so thin and shoddy a market stall holder wouldn't touch them, not even in a bargain basement box.

I buy pretty much everything online these days, recently bought a couple of pairs of trousers and 2 jumpers from the White company and also buy from Boden. My go to for shoes is Keith Scarrot for fashion shoes and lovely boots and Hotter for comfortable trainer type shoes. I usually buy something in their sales. I live in polo shirts either s/s or l/s and fleeces with breeches or leggings as I ride and walk the dog generally living out of doors, I get mine from Lands End in the half price sale and they wash well and keep their shape. I hate shopping in person and rarely return anything I buy online.

My granddaughter love Zara for good value and bang-up-to-trendiness. Good place if you don't want to spend a fortune. I occasionally treat them and am amazed how cheap but good their stuff is. But don't expect it to last!

I buy everything from one online store (although they have a few shops and concessions for those who like to touch first) because there is a continuity of colours from season to season; the sizing is perfect for me; the emphasis on sporty leisure clothing. Me+Em. Not cheap but very well made and durable.

I buy everything online and have done for years.....Poetry has lovely clothes with nice subtle details, as does Wrap London. Phase Eight is accommodating, Spirit of The Andes for knitwear and Kettlewell Colours for T shirts. Duo Boots do shoes and boots in various widths and calf sizes.

There's far more choice on the internet than on the high street . Try Googling brands you like in boutiques - you can buy many direct.

I can’t be alone in never having bought clothing (or anything else ) online so can’t recommend. Or is it just me?

I buy online all the time, have done for the last three or four years, I buy from shops I know, M&S, Matalan, Joe Browns and Cotton Traders, only sent one item back in that time.

Riverwalk
I’m perfectly aware that the staff will be following orders. It just feels so over the top and unnecessary. I’m totally OK with trying clothes on in a store and when shops were open frequently did so where I was allowed. There is little or no evidence that any virus hangs about on clothing and if other shops can steam them afterwards why can’t all shops? I do not live in fear of the virus and refuse to be turned into a nervous wreck by this.
As for the shop being empty and bored looking assistants, wouldn’t they be better occupied steaming clothes and sanitising changing rooms rather than the store selling little or no items.
When I go clothes shopping I usually try on dozens of outfits until I’m totally happy. At that point I’m happy to part with my dosh. I’m not prepared to spend an hour on a train, make an interest free loan to a store for a multitude of items, take them home, travel an hour back with what I don’t want and wait for the store to make a refund when it feels like it. Sadly I don’t have enough dosh to be able to do this.
I have before now bought something, gone to the loo in JL next door tried it on and gone straight back to Seasalt with it.
In all honesty I would suggest that this is a more “risky” situation.
The owner of the boutique where I do buy clothes always said that she would rather know how clothes were being tried on than let them leave the shop and go goodness knows where.

Sorry should read Bruar

I use The House of Briar, lots of different ranges and also Poetry, bit expensive but different. Both very good with online purchases.

Online shopping can be so irritating. The clothes never look like the photos and are nearly always too small. I tried The White Stuff before lockdown don't usually shop there but I bought a top. It's certainly not worth £36 more like £5 from Primark. Quite disappointed.

MissChatelaine you do realise that staff at stores like Seasalt have to follow HQs orders?

How dare they stand around doing nothing and looking bored!

As for being 'over zealous' - why not view that as trying to stop the spread of Covid.

Never. I refuse to buy clothes online. I have once from Hobbs and it was nothing like the picture. As it was in the sale I couldn’t be bothered to return it. I also refuse to shop anywhere where I’m not allowed to try on clothes. When this is all over I will certainly remember the shops that have been accommodating and let me try thins on and boycott ones that have been over zealous.
Seasalt springs to mind for being stroppy. An empty city centre shop, assistants standing around doing nothing, looking bored and saying that they don’t have the resources to clean the changing rooms. As someone who has regularly bought much of my wardrobe from there I won’t be going back. On the other hand my local town boutique lets me try anything on, steams what I don’t buy and quickly sanitises the changing room after. I know where I will continue to buy my clothes from.

Another recommendation for Rapanui. I bought some t shirts and a hoodie. Nice colours for the t-shirts. AND when you wear them out you can send them back and they recover the yarn and use it again!!

I've started buying a few things of late from Crew Clothing and Joules mainly because they are always e mailing me with special offers, which is when I buy. I did shop at East a while back, they went to the wall before lockdown, but I think they are still an on line presence. Sea Salt are quite good too.

Thank you I shall definitely take a look at Hush and Rapanui- really need to buy some spring clothes as so much has gone in charity bags in the last year - got another one today.

Another Kaleidoscope fan here - most of my wardrobe has been purchased through them for many years. They have now taken on quite a few big brands, love it all !

I have shopped at Kaleidoscope for years online. Love their clothes and sometimes very good discounts.

I was totally dependent on East for my clothes, so I now mainly go to Sahara, but be warned, you need to go down at least one size, Hush has some nice things, I had some jumpers there this year which I love, and bits from independent shops, but nothing really wows me. Id love to find somewhere that really made me want to buy something, mainly it seems I’m just buying something which will do.

I'm a Size 6 and have for some time had to shop online, as so many stored just do not stock small sizes. Aside from buying age 10-11 children's clothing for my self from Asda, Tu & F&F, online I love Matalan and M&S, but have bought quite a few jackets from Joules in the last lot of months and love the quality of their goods.

Seasalt is one of my favourites for online shopping, though they do have an actual store near here. I can’t visit the shop at the moment though. Weird Fish is another, I have bought their clothes from a shop and online, I’m wearing a pair of 15 year old jeggings right now. They have a lot of great offers online too.

A new discovery is Rapanui, casual clothing made on the Isle of Wight from sustainable materials. I’ve just bought some of their t-shirts, they are a lovely fit, beautifully finished seams and hems and good quality cotton. The range is limited but I’m sure they’ll grow.

Couldn’t possibly. I’ve got such an odd shaped body. D have to send for fifty parcels before I found something that fitted.

Buying a pair of jeans is a three day shopping expedition. Won’t be sorry though to see big names go and (hopefully) more individual clothes shops take their place,